EAST MEADOW, New York - The Alaska Nanooks hockey program wraps up their 2024-25 season against the Long Island Sharks this weekend. The two-game series will be played at the Northwell Health Ice Center, the practice facility of the New York Islanders, and can be watched on ESPN+.

Friday, Feb. 28
at Long Island | 3:30 p.m. AKST
East Meadow, New York | Northwell Health Ice Center

Watch Here | Live Stats | Listen Online | KSUA 91.5 FM

Saturday, March 1
at Long Island | 3:30 p.m. AKST
East Meadow, New York | Northwell Health Ice Center

Watch Here | Live Stats | Listen Online | KSUA 91.5 FM

Face-Off Club End of Year Banquet
Get ready to celebrate another exciting season of Nanooks hockey! The Face-Off Club invites you to the 2024-25 Alaska Nanooks Hockey Banquet, happening Saturday, March 8 at the Westmark Hotel. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the program kicking off at 5:30 p.m.

This special evening is your chance to meet the team, connect with fellow fans, and support Nanooks hockey in style! Enjoy great food, heartfelt speeches, and a look back at the season's highlights.

Tickets & Pricing

• Individual tickets – $40 per person
• Tables (seats 8) – $320
• Athlete sponsor tickets – $40
• Child tickets – $20

Want to pay in cash? No problem! You can go ahead and reserve your tickets online and pay at the door.

Secure your spot now:
- Purchase tickets online
- Reserve & pay at the door

Don't miss out on this unforgettable night—let's come together to honor our Nanooks! See you there!

Last Time Out
Chase Dafoe got the scoring started for the Nanooks early into the Saturday contest. The forward needed only 3:08 to make it 1-0 Nanooks, striking while on the power play. Kyle Gaffney and Broten Sabo picked up the assists on the first goal of the net. The Nanooks took the 1-0 lead into the second before Matt Rickard struck. The defenseman fired a shot from the left and beat Augustana netminder Christian Manz. Peyton Platter earned the lone assist on the Rickard goal. Hunter Bischoff got one back for the Vikings, making it a 2-1 game 16:53 into the second; the Nanooks took the lead into the third. 3:23 into the third, Augustana found the back of the net again, tying the game at 2-2.

Five minutes later, Cade Ahrenholz took business into his own hands, scoring a pair of goals in just under four minutes. His first came 8:03 into the third, giving the Nanooks the lead back at 3-2. 3:54 later, he found twine again, making it 4-2 Nanooks 11:57 into the third. 

The Vikings found a third goal, 14:39 into the third stanza, but Peyton Platter shut the door with an unassisted, short-handed, empty-net goal 19:22.2 into the third, making it a 5-3 Nanooks win. 

Full Box Score
Game Highlights

#NookNotes

• The Nanooks are 9-2-2 when they score first...Since the start the start of the second-half of the season (Dec. 28 vs. UConn), the Nanooks are 7-4-3 and have scored the first goal seven times in the 14 games. 
• Alaska has risen their power play numbers in the second-half as well. Since Jan. 18 at UAA, the Nanooks have six power-play goals in 10 games, including three in four games from Jan. 25-Feb. 8 and they currently have score power-play goals in back-to-back games, tallying one in each game at Augustana.
• Lassi Lehti is 5-0-1 in his last six appearances for the Nanooks. He went 2-0-1 against UAA in the final three Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup games, picked up the game one win at Lindenwood and then swept Augie in South Dakota last weekend. In that span, he has a .937 save percentage, 1.64 GAA and has made 149 saves, allowing just 10 goals in 365:43 minutes in net. 
• The Nanooks are 5-1-1 in that span as well with their lone-loss coming on Feb. 15 at Lindenwood (2-5).
• Alaska is 5-4-4 when outshooting their opponents and 5-7-1 when being outshot by their opponents. 
• In one-goal games this season, the Nanooks are 6-3. This is the best win percentage and total since 2022-23 when Alaska went 9-5 in one-goal games. 
• The six ties this season is the most by a Nanooks hockey team since the 2009-10 team that had nine ties. Alaska is currently tied with Cornell for the most ties in NCAA Division I hockey. 
• Alaska posted 28 shots-on-goal against Augustana on Feb. 22. Their five goals gave them a shot percentage of .179, their best since Jan. 4 at Minnesota Duluth (W, 2-1 OT) when they posted a .200 shot percentage. 
• The 11 penalties called on the Nanooks on Feb. 22 at Augustana tied the season-high. The other 11 penalty night for the Nanooks came on Oct. 19, 2024 at Notre Dame.
• For the fourth-straight season, the Nanooks have three skaters with 20+ points. This season, Matt Hubbarde leads the Nanooks with 22 points (13-9--22). Broten Sabo leads the blueliners with 21 points (8-13--21), and Kyle Gaffney has 20 points (6-14--20).
• Kyle Gaffney leads the Nanooks with 244 faceoff wins. Chase Dafoe follows right behind with 242. The two combined have won 486 faceoffs, accounting for 59.8% of the Nanooks wins. Dafoe leads the Nanooks in win percentage, winning .535 of his bouts. Gaffney follows with a .509 winning percentage in faceoffs.
• Chase Dafoe scored his fifth power-play goal on Feb. 22 at Augustana, he's scored four power-play goals in the past eight games, and three in the last six games. 
• Lassi Lehti is eighth in the nation in goalie win percentage (.727) and goals against average (1.94). Those numbers are also first among qualifying Independent goalies. He is 10th in the nation in save percentage, posting a .927, also good for first among NCAA DI Independent teams. 
• Broten Sabo has four game-winners this year, that total is 14th in the nation and second to Evan Orr (5) of Stonehill. 
• Chase Dafoe's five power-play goals is 35th in the nation and fourth in Independent ranks. Josh Zary (LIU), Carter Rapalje (LIU), and Ruyan Johnson (UAA) all lead Independent skaters with seven power-play goals each. 

Meet the Opponents

• LIU enters this weekend's matchup the highest-ranked Independent team and the best in terms of record. The Sharks are 18-12-2 and face the Nanooks for the first time this season.
• Alaska holds the all-time edge on LIU, 8-4-0, including a 6-2-0 run since the 2022-23 season. 
• The Sharks split with Stonehill last weekend in North Easton, Mass. They grabbed a 3-1 win on Feb. 21 to extend their winning streak to five before the Skyhawks stopped their run with a 2-1 win. 
• LIU is led by Carter Rapalje, who through 32 games played, has 26 points on 14 goals and 12 assists. His goals total is the team lead, and his dozen apples is second to just JR Perdion who has 14 assists. 
• Noah Rupprecht has seen the most time in net for the Sharks, holding an 11-5-0 record with a .902 save percentage and 2.35 GAA with 919:56 minutes in net. 
• They're coached by Brett Riley, who is in his fifth season at the helm. In five seasons at LIU, Riley is 60-85-7 (.418) and has won a career-high amount this season. 

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